This invention relates to a medical splint product for treating injuries, such as broken bones, requiring immobilization of a body part. The invention is sufficiently flexible for packaging in roll form prior to use, and is conveniently dispensed and cut to any desired length to custom-fit the patient. After dispensing and cutting, the splint is dipped in a water bath, and rolled and squeezed in a dry towel to remove excess water. The splint is then formed around the injured body part, and wrapped with bandaging to hold the splint in place as it hardens.
Conventional practice has been to fabricate a cast or splint upon an injured limb by initially applying to the limb a protective covering of cotton fabric or the like and then overwrapping the covering and limb with a woven cloth impregnated with plaster of paris which has been wetted by dipping in water immediately prior to application. This practice is still in widespread use but possesses several significant disadvantages. For example, the above-described application procedure is messy and time consuming. Several components are required and considerable skill is necessary.
The present invention addresses these and other problems of the prior art by providing a unitary medical splint product which is conveniently stored in roll form, dispensed, cut to any desired length, and applied without further assembly. The invention includes multiple overlying layers of plaster as a unitary substrate, and spaced-apart rows of stitching extending along the length of the splint and through the plaster layers from one major surface of the splint to the other. The stitching binds the splint together, and prevents the plaster layers from shifting or migrating as the splint is wetted and applied to the patient. The stitching further ensures a smoother plaster surface, minimized plaster loss, and promotes uniform lamination of the plaster layers and increased strength.